Self-locking pedal.



PATENTEDV'NOVQ 27 1906.

G. P..DISG HER. SELF-LOOKING PEDAL.

APPLICATION FILED MAE. s, 1905.

V 0G a J am m 5 1 n-mg; concern; hat 1, GRANT Disc-Hes, znted States, residing at Mib the county of Milwaukee and \1 us eiui improvements in Self-Lochz 5 ting valve-s, brakes, 6110. its is to provide for releasing the .ng device and automatically locking the pedal in any desired position by a simple side movement or turning of the foot which operates the pedal and for holding the locking device out of action-in the normal operation of the pedal the foot.

It consists in certain novel features of construction and in the peculiar arrangement and combination of parts, as hereinafter particularly described, and defined in the claims.

In th accompanying dglawings like letters designate the same parts in both figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation and partial vertical section of a pedal embodying my invention; and 2 is a cross-section of the same on'the line 2, Fig. l.

For the purpose of illustration I have shown and w'll particularly describe a form of the device which is specially designed for attachment to the iootboard of an automobile and for operating the throttle or other valve of the engine or motor of such a vehicle. The device is, however, susceptible of modification in various ways and is applicable to different uses without departing from. the principle of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, a, is an angular foot lever fulcrumed at its elbow on a pin 2'), which is secured at the ends in upturned ears c on a base or attachment plate At its upper end this lever is formed with an ex panded toe-piece e, and'at its other end it is connected by a rod f with a valve or other device which is to be operated by the pedal. A ratchet-bar g, pivoted at its upper end to the lev passes downwardly therefroni 1 opening in the base-plate d and is an arc of a circle having a radius hfllilg in length with the distailce lietween t, e fulcrum-pin l) of said lever and the upper of said ratchet-bar.

An angular arm or lever h, 1n the present case correspondmg approximately with the h through a: slot in said bar. iscousin, have invented certain atent. (W. M3 98) pin b and is connected at its lower end \Vlllll the ratchet-bar g by a screw or pin. t

At its upp' t the arm or lever 12, is formed with an expended. toe-piece 5, corresponding with that on the lever A spring k, connecting the lower end of the ratchet-bar g. with a fixed support, such as the footboanfl to which the base-plate d is attached, tends to retract the pedal and to draw and hold the ratchet-bar g in engagement with one edge of the opening in the baseplat e al, which serves, as shown in Fig.

1, as a relatively stationary l0cking-piece. Normally the toeiece j of the pedal-releasing arm h is held y the retracting-spring i: above or in advance of the toe-piece c on the lever a or imposition to be first engaged by the foot of the operator. The slot on the ratchet-bar g, .with which the screw or pin 71 on the releasing-arm it engages, is so formed and arranged as to permit a limited movement of the releasing-arm independently of the lever a and then cause the two parts to move together as one. I

The depression of the toe-piece j on the releasing-arm h by the foot 9f the operator carries and holds the ratchet-bar 9 out of engagement with the base-plate d. The lever a is thus left free to be moved in one direction by the foot of the operator and in the opposite direction by the retracting-spring k, the toe-pieces e an j on they lever a'and arm'h being held side by side with the foot. By swinging or turning the foot to the right, and thereby releasing the toe-piece jof the arm-71 the spring 76 is permitted to draw the ratchetbar 9 into engagement with the base-plate d and lock the pedal in any desired position. Upon turning the foot back to its original position or by depressing the toe-piece j to the level of the toe-piece e the pedal is released and maybe freely turned, as before, in either direction.

By the construction and arrangement of.

parts herein shown and described a single lever in shape, is'l'ulcrunied on the vsame spring serves both to retract the pedal 0r foot lever a when the toe-piece j of the pivoted. arm h is depressed and to en age the ratchet-bar g with the base-plate of .tlie pedal when the toe-piece of saidarm is released.

I claim.

1. In a selfdocking pedal the coPnbination of a foot-lever, a ratchet-bar pivoted thereto, a locking-piece with which said ratchet-bar IIO 1s, adapted to be engaged for holding said lever in d fferent ositions, a spring normally holding sai ratchet-bar in engagement with said locking-piece, and a releasingarm connected with said ratchet-bar and standing normally in advance of said lever,

substantially as described. s

2.v In a'self-locking pedal the combination .ot a fo0t.lever a locking-piece, a ratchet-bar plVOtd to said lever, a s ring tending to retract said lever'and to ho (1 said bar in en gagement with said locking-piece, and a releasing-arm capable of a' limited movement inde endently of said lever for disengaging said ar from the locking-piece, substantially as described. 7

3. In a self-locking pedal the combination of a foot-lever, a locking-piece, a curved ratchet-bar pivoted to said lever, a s ring tending to engage said bar with said 100 'ngpiece, and an arm connected with said bar and standing'normally" in advance of said 'lever for and adapted bymovement toward of a foot-lever having a toe-piece at one end, -a stationary locking-piece, a ratchetbar pivsaid lever to disengage said bar 'from said locking-piece, substantially as described.-

4. In a self-locking pedal the combination spring, said locking-piece su stantiall oted to said lever, a spring tending to hold said ratchetsbar in engagement with said lockingpiece, and a pivoted arm connected with said ratchet-bar and having a toe-piece adjacent to the toe- ,iece of said lever and held normally-in a' vance thereof by said arm being arranged when its toewoe is moved toward the toeiece on said ever'to disenga e said ratohetar from'said as described 5. In a self-locking pe al the combination of, a foot-lever, a stationary locking-piece, a'

to alimited extent in-v I towardsaid lever to disengage the ratchetbar from the locking-piece, substantially as described. v

In'witness whereof I hereto aflix my signa? ture in presence of two Witnesses.

GRANT ,F. DISCHER. '-Witnesses:

CHAS. L. Goss,

BERNAR G, RoLoFF. 

